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Bulgaria kicks out Russian church boss

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

Bulgarian authorities have expelled the head of the Russian church in the country over what they say is a “threat to national security,” Russian diplomats told Moscow’s state-run news agency TASS.Archimandrite Vasian, who headed the Russian Orthodox Church in the country, was on Thursday booted out along with two employees of the St. Nicholas the Miracle Worker church in Sofia, according to a further statement by the Russian embassy in Bulgaria.“We are outraged by the fact and form of the decision taken by the Bulgarian side,” the embassy said on its Facebook page. “It is obvious that the current leadership of Bulgaria has set itself the task of destroying not only the socio-political, cultural and humanitarian ties between our countries, but also to break the relations between the sister Russian and Bulgarian Orthodox churches and to embitter the Russian and Bulgarian peoples against each other,” it added.POLITICO has contacted the Bulgaria...

UK to charge 5 Bulgarian nationals with spying for Russia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

LONDON — Five Bulgarian nationals suspected of spying for Russia in the U.K. will face criminal charges, British prosecutors announced Thursday.The three men and two women “will be charged with conspiring to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy for a purpose prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state between 30 August 2020 and 8 February 2023,” said the Crown Prosecution Service in a statement. The defendants — Orlin Roussev, 45, Bizer Dzhambazov, 41, Katrin Ivanova, 31, Ivan Stoyanov, 31, and Vanya Gaberova, 29 — will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.In February, officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Operations Unit arrested the five on suspicion of an offense under the U.K.’s Official Secrets Act. 

Azerbaijan to begin ‘reintegration’ of Nagorno-Karabakh

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

YEREVAN, Armenia — Armenian leaders in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh on Thursday met with Azerbaijani officials to discuss the dissolution of their unrecognized state, in the wake of a lightning offensive that they say left them with no choice but to surrender.Following a two-hour summit in the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh on Thursday, the office of Azerbaijan’s president issued a statement saying that the meeting had been held “in a constructive and positive environment, discussions were held on the issues of reintegration of the Armenian population of Karabakh, restoration of infrastructure and organization of activities based on the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan.”At the same time, officials say they presented plans that would see the Armenian-held region accept being governed by Azerbaijan and urged “quick implementation” of agreed issues. They also pledged to provide urgently needed supplies of humanitarian aid a...

Hand grenade-maker hit with EU Commission cartel fine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

Defense manufacturer Diehl was fined €1.2 million by the European Commission for teaming up with a rival to carve up European markets for military hand grenades for nearly 14 years.Diehl and RUAG agreed to only sell hand grenades in the countries they allocated between them between 2007 and 2021, the European Union cartel enforcer said. It’s the first time the EU has fined a defense industry cartel.RUAG wasn’t fined because it told the Commission about the illegal pact. Diehl’s fine was reduced by half for coooperating with the EU investigation plus a further 10 percent reduction for agreeing to settle the case.EU officials raided company premises to gather evidence for the investigation in November 2021.

Warsaw makes a risky political bet in attacking Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

WARSAW — Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party is in the fight of its political life ahead of next month’s general election — and in its scramble for votes it’s taking aim at the country’s alliance with Ukraine. The latest blow came from Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who on Wednesday said that Poland has halted shipments of its own armaments to Ukraine.“We are no longer transferring weapons to Ukraine, because we are now arming Poland with more modern weapons,” Morawiecki told Poland’s Polsat television.It’s true that Poland has sent most of its Soviet-era tanks, fighters and other weapons to Ukraine and doesn’t have much left in its stocks. Warsaw will also continue allowing arms shipments from other allies to pass through its territory.“Poland still functions as a hub for international aid,” said government spokesperson Piotr Müller, adding that the country is fulfilling its existing military supply contracts wi...

Rupert Murdoch steps down as Fox and News Corp. chairman

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

New York (CNN) — Rupert Murdoch announced Thursday that he will step down as chairman of Fox Corporation and News Corp.“For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change,” Murdoch wrote in a memo to employees. “But the time is right for me to take on different roles, knowing that we have truly talented teams.”His son, Lachlan Murdoch, will become sole chairman of both companies. Rupert Murdoch called his son “a passionate, principled leader.”Fox News announced Rupert Murdoch’s retirement on its air Thursday morning, with anchor Bill Hemmer praising the network’s founder.“Rupert Murdoch created all of this and so much more across America and the globe,” Hemmer said. “His life’s work has left an indelible imprint on the global media landscape. His contributions are both innumerable and extraordinary and we thank him for letting us be a part of it all.”“Without him, we would not be here,” anchor Dana Perino added.A decades-lon...

Climate group Extinction Rebellion Boston blocks traffic in Financial District; members arrested

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

Climate group Extinction Rebellion Boston is continuing to pressure the Healey administration to ban new fossil fuel infrastructure projects.Their latest attempt to send a message to Gov. Maura Healey came this morning, when more than 35 activists marched around the Rose Kennedy Greenway, shutting down traffic in the Financial District.“The activists communicated that they would refuse to end their traffic disruption unless the Governor made a public statement committing her administration to opposing all new fossil fuel infrastructure projects, including the expansion of airports and gas connections in new buildings,” the group wrote in a release.Wearing blue shirts with yellow illustrations of the Earth accompanied by slogans “I rebel for…” followed by personal messages, the group split into three subgroups and marched around several intersections in the Financial District, creating a traffic gridlock.Some people expressed confusion around the group’s stunt on social media.“While ...

Chicago Cubs’ Cody Bellinger has a limited pregame BP routine — and it has set him up for success. Here’s how.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

Cody Bellinger’s favorite time to hit happens long before the ballpark opens to fans.He finds solace during the 45-minute early batting practice sessions where “there’s no camera, no anybody and it’s not as controlled of an environment,” Bellinger explained to the Tribune.“If I’m going to hit on the field, I prefer the early hitting slot because it’s peaceful — it’s just you on a baseball field and it’s super, super enjoyable.”Outside of his early on-field work, Bellinger typically does not take on-field BP with his teammates at home or on the road. Bellinger instead prefers to go through his own routine using the indoor cage.It’s a practice that has become more common in the majors, among them most notably is Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani, who’s been known for how rarely he hits on the field pregame.Early in the season Bellinger would take BP with his teammates because he felt like he had to in a n...

Column: The ‘Royalization’ of the Chicago White Sox is full steam ahead

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

Whenever Chris Getz hears Lorde sing “Royals,” he must feel compelled to sing along at the top of his lungs.On his first day as Chicago White Sox general manager, Getz revealed manager Pedro Grifol, his former coach with the Kansas City Royals, would be retained. Among his first front office hires, Getz is reported to be bringing in San Francisco director of pitching Brian Bannister, a former Royals teammate, and Gene Watson, the former Royals assistant general manager/scouting. Longtime Royals GM Dayton Moore has been linked to the Sox as well, according to USA Today.So the standard has been set for the Sox, and the question must now be asked:Could they be Royals, or at least a version of the organization that managed to win a championship without a team full of superstars back in the 2010s?The Royalization of the Sox is underway.Anyone with ties to the Royals might be Zillowing the southwest suburbs of Chicago right now, looking for available homes for 2024 and beyond....

Chicago Cubs can’t pull off a comeback in 13-7 loss as Justin Steele makes his shortest non-injury start of the year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

Left-hander Justin Steele has been a stabilizing force in a Chicago Cubs rotation that looks different from their Opening Day version.Through all the injuries, inconsistencies and role changes, Steele’s consistency helped the Cubs recover from being 10 games under .500 in early June to fighting for a wild-card spot. But for a second consecutive start, Steele allowed six runs and struggled to keep the Cubs in the game. His three-plus innings in Wednesday’s 13-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates represented his second-shortest outing of the season, exceeded only by his injury-related departure May 31.Steele struck out six batters through three innings when the Pirates started finding holes. Pittsburgh tallied six consecutive singles to begin the fourth inning, quickly ending his night and likely his case to win the National League Cy Young Award.“Six straight hits, the alarm goes off a little bit, like, what’s going on,” manager David Ross said.Steele was ch...